Nerdy T-Shirts Help Comic-Con Fans Connect

This gentleman, who asked to be identified simply as a Comic-Con "bystander," had a shirt inspired by Iron Man and the film Heavy Metal.
Photo: Angela Watercutter/Wired

"I'm from San Diego and this is the kids' first Con, so it felt right to wear my Padres No. 1 Dad shirt," says Chip Cathcart. "The kids just saw the Ninja Turtles and they loved it!"
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Andy Murray from San Diego has been coming to Comic-Con for five years. "2010 was my biggest — I was in the Bender suit at the Westboro protest."
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

This shirt, for sale at Comic-Con, artfully mixes one of Tupac Shakur's phrases with the "Han shot first" controversy.
Photo: Angela Watercutter/Wired

San Diego resident Michael Rheaume came to Comic-Con to hang out with his friends and show off his Aquabats fandom.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

Jonathan Antonio from Tujunga, California, had to hustle to get his pass to Wednesday's Comic-Con preview night. "This isn't my first Con," he told Wired. "I got my badge from a friend."
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Angry nerds everywhere! Would you like to buy a vowel?
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Adrian Montes, a 26-year-old pharmacy tech from Phoenix, found this beauty on TeeFury and managed to snag the T-shirt during the short window it was made available.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

New York resident Michael Negron chose to wear his YOLO T-shirt on the first day of his first San Diego Comic-Con.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

Sergio Palacios works at a comic book shop in San Diego's Gaslamp district. He's got a bloody S shield logo tattoo to match his T-shirt.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired

A wall of shirts for sale on the Comic-Con show floor.
Photo: Angela Watercutter/Wired

SAN DIEGO — One of the myriad joys of Comic-Con International is that it gives all types of geeks a chance to come together with their people. But with so many different things to nerd out over, how can they find their specific tribe? If they’re not cosplaying, the best method is to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with their favorite comic, movie, TV show or other geek property.

The more specific the T-shirt, the more likely Con attendees are to find someone acutely aware of their likes and sense of humor. Star Wars fan with a love of hip-hop? There’s a shirt for that. Maybe you’re a Lord of the Rings aficionado who also enjoys the work of street artist Shepard Fairey? There’s a tee for that, too (for sale on the Comic-Con floor!).

“I see a Star Wars shirt on someone, I immediately talk to them,” 18-year-old Nick Callinan, who was working at Comic-Con selling collectibles at the Game Rave booth, told Wired. “Sometimes that can get them to buy something. If not, you have a good chat.”

Callinan was just one of scores of fans who flooded the main convention floor Wednesday night to preview the booths set up by movie studios, comic book publishers and television networks. Inspired by the wonderfully nerdy shirts in the crowd, Wired staffers grabbed our Hipstamatic-powered smartphones and started collecting pictures of the best T-shirts on the floor.